Water ski towrope reel



Jan. 7, 1969 M. c. SANDERS WATER SKI TOWHOPE REEL I of 2 Sheet Filed Dec. 12, 1966 Fig.

Fig.2

Melvin C. Sanders INVENTOR.

J 7 1969 v M. c. SANDERS 3,420,466

WATER SKI TOWROPE REEL Filed Dec. 12, 1966 Fig. 4 x066 United States Patent 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A winding reel assembly including a housing consisting of a wall structure including opposite upstanding front and rear walls interconnected at their upper ends by means of a top wall extending therebetween, the front and rear Walls and top wall including opposite side inwardly offset and inwardly directed generally coplanar opposite side mounting flange portions and the housing further including upstanding side walls secured over the outer surfaces of the mounting flange portions by means of suitable fasteners removably secured through the side walls and anchoring the latter to the mounting flange portions of the wall structure. A winding member including opposite end wall structures is journaled between the opposite side walls of the housing and the front wall of the wall structure includes an opening therethrough for receiving a tension member having one end wound on the winding member. Also, the lower marginal edge portions of the side walls include oppositely outturned mounting flange portions and the wall structure is upwardly displace-able from the side walls after removal of the fasteners securing the side walls to the mounting flange portions of the wall structure.

This invention relates toa novel and useful water ski towrope reel and more specifically to a ski towrope reel adapted to be mounted in a motorboat and including a motor drives winding member upon which a water ski towrope is wound and from which the towrope may be unwound.

It is contemplated that the water ski towrope reel of the instant invention will be utilized in conjunction with a bridle rope extending across the rear of a boat in slackened condition with a pulley structure mounted on the bridle rope and including an eye through which the towrope is to be threaded, the end portion of the towrope first wound upon the winding member of the reel being knotted a distance spaced from the terminal end thereof equal to a distance slightly greater than the maximum distance obtainable between the winding member and the eye on the pulley mounted on the bridle rope. In this manner, the water ski towrope may be unwound from the reel until the knot, or any other suitable abutment, abuts the eye portion of the pulley to thereby transfer the rearward pull of the water ski towrope from the reel mounted within a boat to the bridle rope secured to the transom of the boat.

The main object of this invention is to provide a water ski towrope reel which may be readily mounted within an associated motorboat and utilized to effectively handle an associated water ski towrope.

Another object of this invention is to provide a water ski towrope reel and transom mounted guide therefor operative to transfer a rearward pull on the towrope from the reel to the transom of an associated boat just prior to the towrope being completely unwound from the reel.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the preceding objects specifically designed for usage in an environment in which it will be subjected to high humidity conditions.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerice ated herein is to provide a water ski towrope reel which will conform to convention-a1 forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rear portion of a motorboat illustrated with the water ski towrope real of the instant invention operatively mounted in the motorboat and the towrope passing through the transom of the motorboat and operatively associated with a towrope bridle whose opposite ends are secured to the transom at opposite sides of the boat;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of the water ski towrope reel;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 55 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of motorboat including a pair of opposite sides 12 and 14 interconnected at their rear ends by means of a transom 16 and having a bottom 18 joining the lower surfaces of the sides 12 and 14 and the transom 16.

The water ski towrope reel of the instant invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral 20 and includes a housing generally referred to by the reference numeral 22. The housing 22- includes a one piece preformed wall structure 24 including upstanding front and rear walls 26 and 28 curving smoothly into upwardly and rearwardly inclined and forwardly and generally horizontal top wall sections 30 and 32, respectively, smoothly curving together as at 34.

As can best be seen from FIGURES 3 and 5 of the drawings the walls 26 and 28 as well as the wall sections 30 and 32 include generally right angularly directed and inwardly offset opposite side mounting flange portions designated by corresponding prime numerals. These mounting flanges are provided with suitable threaded apertures 36 and a pair of opposite side walls 38 and 40 are secured to the mounting flanges by means of suitable fasteners 42 secured through the side walls 38 and 40 and threadedly engaged in the threaded apertures. In this manner, the side walls 38 and 40 are secured to the wall structure 24 in flush recessed relation relative to the side edge portions of the walls 26 and 28 and the wall sections 30 and 32.

The wall'structure 24 also includes a mounting Web portion 44 having a suitable opening 46 formed therethrough and an electric motor 48 is provided including mounting fasteners 50 secured through the web portion 44. The motor 48 may be either a 6 volt motor or a 12 volt motor and includes an output shaft 54 on which a drive pulley 56 is mounted for rotation.

The side walls 38 and 40 have a pair of oil impregnated bronze bearing sleeves 58 and 60' secured in suitable apertures 62 and 64, respectively, provided therefor in the side walls 38 and 40 and the sleeves 58 and 60 rotatably journal the opposite end portions of a shaft 68 having circular end plates 70 and 72 secured on 3 opposite end portions thereof inwardly of the side walls 38 and 40. The end plates 70 and 72 are secured to the shaft 68 for rotation therewith and a driven pulley 74 is mounted on the end plate 70 and is aligned with the pulley 56, an endless flexible belt 76 drivingly connecting the drive pulley 56 with the driven pulley 54. Accordingly, upon operation of the electric motor 48 the shaft 68 will be rotated.

The end plate 70 is provide with a bore 78 registrable with a larger bore 80 formed through the driven pulley 74 and the end plate 70 and pulley form an end wall structure for the corresponding end of the shaft 68. One end of a towrope 82 is passed through the aligned bores 78 and 80 and is knotted as at 84 so as to be secured to the shaft 86 for rotation therewith, the knot 84 being recessed inwardly of the end of the bore 80 remote from the bore 78.

The towrope 82 has a portion thereof wound upon the shaft 68 and the free end portion of the towrope passes through an opening 88 provided therefor in the rear wall 28 of the housing 22 bushed by means of a brass eyelet 90.

The towrope 82 may be of any suitable construction such as braided polyethylene rope and a second section 94 of polyethylene rope has one end secured to an eye 96 secured through the transom 16 at one side of the boat and the other end secured to an eye 98 secured through the transom 16 at the other side of the boat. The section 94 defines a bridle rope and is of a length to have sufficient slack therein to provide clearance between the bridle 04 and an outboard motor 100 mounted on the transom 16.

A pulley assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 102 includes a pulley wheel 104 rollingly engaged with the bridle 94 and an eye portion 106 through which the rope 82 is slidably received. In addition, the transom 16 has an eyelet 108 secured therethrough and the towrope 82 is also slidably received through the eyelet 108, the latter having a greater inside diameter than the inside diameter of the eye 106.

The rear end of the towrope 82 is provided with a conventional handle 110 and the end portion of the rope 82 secured to the end plate 70 and the driven pulley 74 includes a knotted portion 112 which is of a diameter to slide freely through the eyelet 108 but too large in diameter to pass through the eye 106. In addition, the knot 112 is spaced from the knot 84 a distance sufficient to enable the pulley assembly 102 to slide to the end of the bridle 94 adjacent the eye 96 with some slack still in the portion of the towrope 82 between the knot 112 and the knot 84.

The boat 10 has a battery 114 disposed therein. The voltage of the battery 114 is complementary to the operating voltage of the motor 48 and a suitable wiring harness 116 is provided for electrically connecting the battery 114 to the motor 48 through an extension cord supported control switch 120.

In operation, the towrope 82 may be unreeled from the shaft 86 by a water skier in the water holding the handle 110 and allowing the boat 10 to move away from the water skier. Of course, after the rope 82 has been almost fully extended, the knot 112 will contact the eye 106 and transfer the rearward pull of the rope 82 from the water ski towrope reel assembly 20 to the transom 16. Then, should a water skier fall, the operator of the boat 10 may actuate the switch 120 so as to reel in the rope 82. As the rope 82 is reeled in, the portion thereof to which the handle 110 is secured will contact the eye 106 and thus the winding of the towrope 82 onto the shaft 68 will be operative to retract the towrope 82 to the point that the handle 110 is disposed immediately rearward of the eyelet 108.

The housing 22 may be secured in any suitable location within the boat 10. The lower maginal edge portions of the side walls 38 and 40 include outwardly curving and generally horizontal aperteured mounting flanges 38 and 40 and any suitable fasteners 122 may be utilized in securing the housing 22 within the boat 10.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A water ski towrope reel comprising a support, a winding member journaled from said support, an elongone end portion thereof secured to said winding member ated flexible tension member, said tension member having for winding at least the adjacent end portion of said tension member on said winding member, means operatively connected to said winding member for driving said winding member, said support being adapted to be secured in a boat, whereby said tension member may be used as a towrope, said support comprising a housing including a wall structure composed of opposite upstanding front and rear walls interconnected at their upper ends by means of top wall means extending therebetween, said front and rear walls and said top wall means including opposite side inwardly offset and inwardly directed generally coplanar mounting flange portions, said housing including upstanding side walls secured over the outer surfaces of said mounting flange portions by means of suitable fasteners removably secured through said side walls and anchoring said side walls to said mounting flange portions, said winding member including axially opposite end portions journaled from said side walls, said means operatively connected to said winding member including an electric motor, said motor including remotely operable control means and being removably supported from said wall structure independent of support from said side walls, said motor including an output shaft generally paralleling the axis of rotation of said winding member, said winding member and said shaft including aligned wheels, an endless flexible tensioned drive member entrained about said wheels, said output shaft being at a lower elevation than said winding member, the lower marginal edge portions of said side walls including integral outturned mounting flange portions, said wall structure being supported solely from said side walls and upwardly displaceable relative thereto after removal of said fasteners to relax the tension of said drive member.

2. The combination of claim 1 including an elongated flexible bridle member adapted at its opposite ends to be secured to opposite ends of a transverse boat transom and to be disposed rearwardly of said transom, a follower mounted on said bridle member for free guided movement therealong, said follower including guide means with which said other end portion of said tension member is guidingly engaged for free longitudinal displacement of said tension member relative to said guide means, said tension member having an abutment on said one end portion thereof which cannot pass by said guide means and which is therefore adapted to transfer a rearward pull on said tension member from said winding member to said bridle member and therefore to the transom of an associated boat to which said bridle member is secured.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said winding member includes axially spaced end wall structures spaced slightly inwardly of said side walls, one of said end wall structures having an opening formed therethrough eccentrically disposed relative to the axis of rotation of said winding member, said opening including a diametrically enlarged end portion remote from the other end plate, said one end of said tension member being passed through said opening from the diametrically smaller end thereof and having an enlargement thereon recessed in 6 said diametrically enlarged end portion of said opening 3,098,463 7/1963 Brown 24286.5 and of a size too large to pass through said diametrically 3,100,605 8/1963 Nicholson 242 86'5 Smaller end thereof- 3,162,395 12/1964 Bray 242 8 References Cited 5 3,195,831 7/ 1965 Shriner et a1. 24286.5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 15,9 4/1967 Turner 242-86.5

1,462,388 7/1923 Smith 242l17 I 2,339,311 1/1944 Young 242 125 1 X WILLIAM S. BURDEN, Przmary Examzner. 3,034,742 5/1962 Reynolds 24286.5 c1 XR 3,041,996 7/1962 Roberts 114235 10 S 3,043,259 7/1962 Sadler 114 235 114-235 

